A year after taking home the Canterra Seeds Cup on home ice for the first time in franchise history, the Melfort Mustangs are hoping for more of the same in 2024-25.
The Mustangs defeated the Flin Flon Bombers in six games to win the fifth championship in franchise history. Melfort would make it all the way to the Centennial Cup Final, but fell 1-0 to the Collingwood Blues.
Mustangs head coach and general manager Trevor Blevins says he is looking forward to getting the new season underway.
“We had some quality family time, which is nice and it was a short turnaround, but I was excited to get back going with the year and all the returning guys that come in with the right attitude and work ethic. We’re pretty excited about our acquisitions and our young groups who’re running with an excellent camp, and we’re pretty excited for what we have here to start the season.”
The Mustangs finished with a 38-14-3-1 record in the regular season, finishing second in the Sherwood Division 11 points behind the Flin Flon Bombers.
In the playoffs, Melfort dispatched Esteven in five games before defeating the Humboldt Broncos in a seven-game epic. The Mustangs jumped out to a 3-0 series lead on the Bombers before winning the series in six games at the Northern Lights Palace.
Blevins says the Mustangs will need to replicate how last year’s team played to have success in 2024-25.
“We want to continue what brought us success last year which was our work ethic and our structure that was consistent every night. I think when you talk about last year’s team, it was a team that was hard to play against and defended well and was a consistent hockey club most nights. That’s where we need to be.”
For the second straight offseason, Blevins brought in a 20-year-old defenceman who spent the previous season in the WHL. On June 1, the Mustangs acquired Nicholas Andrusiak from the Melville Millionaires in exchange for two first round picks and a second round selection.
Andrusiak split the 2023-24 season between the Red Deer Rebels and Saskatoon Blades and was released by the Blades earlier in the offseason.
All players who were eligible to return for the Mustangs are back with the exception of netminder James Venne who signed with the BCHL’s Sherwood Park Crusaders.
Blevins says the returning experience should pay dividends for the Mustangs.
“The fact that our young players got the experience they did last year with the injuries that we had and everyone stepped up, it was kind of a next man up mentality and I feel we need to have that again this year. I think a lot of it will be with those ’05s and ’04s that had quality minutes last year that really stepped up in playoff time for us. We need them to step up to start the season here.”
Entering the season as defending SJHL champions, Blevins says the Mustangs are keeping their goals in the short term entering the season.
“We don’t usually get too farsighted with our club. I’ve always had a mentality of get better every day. That’s where we’re at. I know it might be cliche, but it works. We try to improve and develop every day as an individual and as a group.”
sports@paherald.sk.ca
